Even after Royal Challengers Bengaluru absorbed a nine-run defeat on Thursday night, Virat Kohli made sure the dressing room stayed upbeat. In their IPL 2026 encounter against Lucknow Super Giants, the match was decided through the DLS method, but the larger message from Kohli was about keeping standards high without getting distracted by results. Bengaluru’s captain acknowledged the setback, yet urged his team to return to their best mindset—playing with enjoyment and intensity—rather than dwelling on what had gone wrong.
The defeat also featured a rough moment for Kohli personally. He was dismissed for a two-ball duck by LSG pacer Prince Yadav, who delivered an excellent inswinging ball that found the right channel and got the better of Kohli’s defence. The impact was immediate: the ball struck the off stump, leaving the veteran batter stunned. With the contest slipping away, Kohli ensured the response wasn’t negativity—he switched to leadership mode, offering an energising pep talk to his teammates.
In a video RCB shared on X, Kohli reflected on why the team had been successful earlier in the season. “Why did we get those six wins? Because we were enjoying, and we were only worried about our standards, and we’re not even looking at the opposition,” he said. He followed it up with a clear call to action: “And I want to see absolute enjoyment and excitement to get back in the park, regardless of what the jersey colour on the other side is.” The clip captured the tone Kohli wanted—focus on process, not pressure.
From a standings perspective, Bengaluru still have plenty to play for. RCB have now completed 10 matches in IPL 2026, winning six and losing four, and sit on 12 points. With their position still very much alive, the franchise remains in serious contention for a place in the playoffs.
Lucknow, meanwhile, ended a run of poor form by snapping a six-match losing streak in emphatic fashion. Mitchell Marsh produced the kind of innings that changes a game’s momentum, smashing 111 off 56 balls as bottom-placed Lucknow Super Giants secured a nine-run DLS victory over RCB in a rain-affected contest. Marsh struck nine fours and hit the same number of sixes, and his power-packed effort didn’t come in isolation—he built the foundation with solid contributions around him. He added 95 runs off 56 deliveries with Arshin Kulkarni, who made 17, and then combined to add 70 off 41 balls with Nicholas Pooran, who contributed 38. The result was a total of 209 for 3 for LSG after they batted first.
LSG’s innings wasn’t only about Marsh, though. Skipper Rishabh Pant played a rapid finish, remaining unbeaten on 32 off just 10 balls, helping Lucknow carry momentum into the shortened phase of the match.
Rain disrupted proceedings multiple times, and the contest was trimmed to 19 overs per side. That adjustment forced a DLS chase target of 213 for RCB, raising the stakes for Bengaluru as they searched for a big finish within a limited number of overs.
In the chase, RCB were held to 203 for six, falling short of the revised target. Prince Yadav played a major role in keeping Lucknow in control, taking 3/33, while Shahbaz Ahmed chipped in with 2/33. Despite the early loss and the pressure of the DLS equation, Bengaluru did receive a meaningful platform from Rajat Patidar, who led the scoring with 61 off 31 balls as the top effort for the side.
Lucknow’s bowlers also ensured the innings didn’t fully open up. For RCB, Krunal Pandya claimed 1/31 and Josh Hazlewood took 1/49, but the wicket tally couldn’t compensate for the runs they conceded under the shortened scenario.
